Liquid meter



y Paume Fel. 12, 1924.`

HARRY nIcE Hmmm, or mxnnsmn, cALIronnm- Lminn man Application niedsprnas, 1922.' serial no. 557,277:

To all wilma it may concern.

Be it known that I, HARRY Bron HAMMEirT,

a citizen of the United States, residing 'at Bakersfield, in the countyof Kern and State of California, have` invented a new and use-4 fulLiquid Meter', of which the following 1s a s ecitication.l

'lphis invention relates to a meter of the type employed inmeasuringliquids, and it is especially serviceable in measuring oil as cit fiows or is being pumped from the wells to the containers.

An object of the invention is to provide a meter in which the pressureof gas ,entrapped thereinwill prevent immersion of the bearings of thepropeller shaft in the metered liquid, thus making it possible toavoidsuch variable operation as would result if the liquid were inContact with the bearing.

Another object is to produce a construc- .tion of stationary vanes whichis economical.

Another object is to provide for ease of removal of the meter mechanismfrom the casing without removal of the casing from the pipe line inwhich it is installed.

Other objects and advantages will. appear in the subjoined detaileddescri tion.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention:v

Figure 1 is a vertical mid-section of a meter constructed in accordancewith the provisions of this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail of the upper bearing.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail of the .lower bearin Figs. 4, 5,6 and 7 are plan sections on the lines indicated by 4.-4, 5-5, 6 6 and7.-7, respectively, Figure 1, portions of the lower fiange being brokenaway in Figures 6 and 7, to contract the views.

There is provided a vertical tubular casing 8 having a ange 9 at itslower end for connecting with the pipe through which the liquid to bemetered is inducted to the meter. The casing 8 is provided at one sidewith an outlet 10 which communicates with the bore of a tube 11 that, inthis instance, is integral with the casin 8. The outer end of the tube11 is provi ed with a flange 12 by'which said tube may be connected withfr the liquid vaway from the meter to a suitable container, not shown.

The lower end' of the casing 8 is open to form an inlet 54.

Fitting inside of the lower portion of the' casing 8 is a stationarysectional 'vane support comprising sections 13, there being four suchsections in lthis instance. Thetwo end supports 13'ma-y be madeintegral, but the intermediate ones are split so that they may beassembled as will appear hereinafter. The supports 13 are 1n the form ofrmgs and areperforated at opposite sides thereof as indicated at 14vl toreceive bolts 15 which also'extend through spacers 16 mounted onv theuppermost vane support. The bolts 15 also extend through a flange 17 ofa swaged vertical tube 18.V In' this linstance the dan 17 isscrew-threaded upon the tube. 18. outlet spaces 19 from the bore of thevane support between the u permost vane support 13 andthe flange 1 tothe space above the vane support.

The tube 18 is screw-threaded or otherwise secured within a downwardlyprojecting annular flange 20 of a head 21 which seals the upper ends ofthe tube 18 and casing 8, being secured by bolts 22 to an upper flange23v o the casing 8. The tube 18 has a shorter .portion 25 of re uceddiameter and 'forms with the head 21 agas trap. The

tube 18 is open at its lower end to form the gas inlet 26.

The support sections 13 are provided with .inwardly projecting. spaced'vertical vanes 27, the varies being considerabl narrower than the rings13' so as to s ace t e series of vanes Iof adjacent rings rom eachother. Within the rings 13 is a rotor shell 28 provided with outwardlyprojecting spiral pro- T ere are thus provided longer portion 24 of larer diameter sand a peller vanes`29, there being a number of` horizontalseries of said vanes and each series being positioned in a horizontalplane between the horizontal planes `occupied by the adjacent series ofstationary vanes 27. The stationary vanes 27 prevent rotation orswirling of the column of liquid actuating the rotor.

The rotor shell 28 is sealed near 3 y l memset above the bearing ebearing 34 is mounted on the lower y and of a tube 37 whichfsurroundsthe shaft .c 33 and which is connected by a tubular coupling 38 to thehead 21, said couplingr being combined radial an screw-threaded througha hole 39 at the axis of the head; vTheshaftt projects-through thecoupling 38 and is 'ournaled in an upper thrust bearing 40 mountedlinthe upper end of kthe coupling 38,.:,Theishaftw33 `is providedwith ashoulder \41"and a`inut. or nuts 42 on the shaft vholds the shaft andbearing: assembled.

lhegrntor'shell' 28 :has ai portion 43 ofV reduoedfdianieter surroundingthat portion of` the tube 3? within the tube 18 and extending 'towithina slight distance the level of the upperk open endof the'shell 28." Therotorshell, in this particular instance, is constructed of two sections,the

Dortion 43,` `forming` one section, being a f s e r z e t n vorcelitwlthimjor beingotherwise connected t0; the othery shell Section.

and actua'te meter 5registe-ring mechanism 45'whichgnsed,norte-described in def-,ail herein,

i l'as the'specicconstmction ,thereof is not a part of this present"invention'and as such mechanism is -well understood in the artpertaining to meters. The -meter registering mechanism 45 is enclosed.in a glass tube 46 which is mounted inthe bore of: a tubular casev47lprovidlad with an opening 48 to permit;ofreadin the registeredamountof liquid passed trough the meter. The tube 46crests on an`i nternalshoulder v55 ot the case 47 and its upr end is below the upper vengagesthe support 56.

end of thefcase. esting on the upper end -of the tube 46 is aflangedsupport 56 for the registering mechanism 45.

The upper end ofthe'case y47 is closed by a plug49-which The case 47chasa flange 50 whichk is secured. by a clamping ring-51 to anannularupwardly projecting flange 52 of the head 2l, the shaft 33 proTjectitgthrough the :flange` 52`into the tube gas through the 46.referably a gasketlI -willbeplaced between the flange 52 andfthe Bange50`to insure against leakage of gas that might otherwise escape from theinterior of the tube 24. The plug 49 prevents leakage of meter-recordingmechanism to the atmosphere. It is essential that a sutli cient gasvolume be maintainedi'ii the tube 18 to preventrise of the liquid in themeter to the level of the upper end-of` the shellportion 43 Vso that theliquid cannot enter the shell and reach the lower bearin 34.

e present practicein measuring t e production of oill wells is to employgauge tanks of the coupling 38.- Thelower end'o` the tubeyl is belowtion of will, of course,

',ployed by me, having a be the most satisfactory when the hlly nay tureof the location permits the flow tank to discharge 'by gravity to thestock tanks. In flat territory the well pump can pump through the meterdirect to the stock tank, thus eliminating pumping from gauge tanks tothe stock tanks.

7Vhen metering oil, the greater part of the gas coming from the wellwith the oil, must be removed before metering. Ths can be effectedthrough bypassing the gas around the meter or else by using a simple gastrap. This meter is able in connection with oil wells for obtaining acheck on the production of individual lwe s.

Assuming that the nected in an oil as follows:

4The oil flows upwardly between the vanes 27 and 29. thus acting on thevanes 29 to produce meter casing 8 is conpipe line, the meter operatesthe registering mechanism 45 in a manner well understood in this art.There though the greater portion thereof has been removed, and this gaswill rise into the tube.

24 through the intake 26 and said also How into the shell upper endthereof. The

as will through Yt e open shell being Scaled near its lower end preventsthe discharge ot' rotation of the shell 28 and opera.

be some gas in the oil, even 1 l gas from the shell and also preventsth: en- 'I trance of the oil into the shell. The gas in the tubo 24 willprevent rise of the oil in the tube 24 tothe level of the upper end ofthe rotor shell, thus keeping the oil from the bearing 34. Thus thebearing 34 will be maintained in, such condition as to prevent change ofthe frictional componentof the rotating parts y I would make the meterunreliable in recording the amo nt of liquid flowing therethrough.

A meter ofths typehas already been em capacity of from 125 to 2500barrels of oil pi line.

y the construction of vanos and their mounting as described above, whennecessary to repair the meter mechanism, the bolts 22 may be removed,

the stationary of the meter, which change in 24 hours on a 6' whereuponthe parts suspended from the' l' The two intermediate rings 13 are madesectional, as indicated in Figure 7, in order that they may be assembledin place around term gas employed in this specification also denes air.If, for example, water is being run through the meter, an air pocketwillbe formed' around the bearings to protect them from the water. Ifthe meter is operating on a line in which .the liquid pressure isrelativel high, additional gas or air 'may be supp led to the tube 18through the pipe 58 having a valve 59. i I claim: v

1. In a meter, the combination of a casing having an inlet and outlet, ahead on the upper 'end of the casing, a vertical shaft journaled in thehead and projecting therethrough, registering mechanism mounted on thehead and operated by the shaft, a tube connected 'with the head andsurrounding the shaft and provided at its lower end with a. bearing forthe shaft, the shaft extending throu h said bearing, a 4rotor shellhaving prope ler vanes andsecured to the shaft below the bearing, saidshell being sealed below the level of the lower bearing and being openat its upper end, and a tube surrounding the upper portion of the shelland sealed i' at its upper end, the lower end' of the last tube'beingopen and being below the level of the upper end of the shell. i

2. In a' meter,` the combination of a casing having an inlet and anoutlet, -upper and lower vbearings connected with the casing, a Shaftmounted in said bearings, propeller means in the casing associated withthe shaft, means to form a gas pocket around the lower I- bearing, saidpocket-being closed below the lower bearing, and .registering mechanismoperated by the shaft.

37. In a meter, the combination of a casing havingA an inlet and anoutlet, upper and lower bearings connected vwith the casing, a1

shaft mounted in said bearings, propeller means in the casing associatedwith .the shaft, means to form a gas pocket around the lower bearing,means enclosing the upper bearing and including a case having an theshaft` and means aording communication between the gas pocket and theupper bearing whereby any gas leaking through the upper bearing will beretained by the 'case 4. In a meter, the combination of a casing havingan inlet and an outlet, a removable head on the casing, a bearingsupported by the head, a shaft projecting through said bearing, a tubesurrounding the shaft and connected at its upper end with the head andhaving a' bearing at its lower end for the shaft, theshaft extendingthrough the sec-- j ond bearing, propeller means in the casingassociated with the shaft, and registering mechanism operated by the.lshaft.

5. In a meter, the combination of a casing having an inlet and anoutlet, a shaft rotaty ably connected with the casing, propeller meansin the casin aociated with the shaft, a vane support ing internalvertical vanes, means to hold the rings against separation, andregistering mechanism operated by the shaft.

6. In a meter, the combination of a, casing having an inlet and anoutlet, a removable head on the casing, a bearing supported by the head,a shaft projecting through said bearing, a tube surrounding the shaftand connected at its upper end with the head and tting in the casing andformed by a series of rings, said rings havf' having a bearing at itsvlower end for the shaft, the shaft extending Athrough the sec-z,r

ond bearing, propeller means in the casing associated with the shaft,registering mechanism operated by the shaft, a stationary vane supportsurrounding the propeller means and-having vertical vanes, and meansconnecting the vane support with the head.

7 Ina meter, the combination of a casing having an inlet and an outlet,upper and lower bearings connected with the casing, a shaft mounted in`said bearings, propeller means in the casing associated with the shaft,f

`means to form a gas pocket around the lower bearing, means to admit gasto said pocket, and'registering mechanism operated by' the shaft.

Signed at Bakersfield, Calif., this 18th day of April 1922.

HARRY Rien HAMMETT.

VWitnesses:

R. MoDoNAm, F. S. Wmimm.

